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JCRM 12-2 Pp177-184 Ilangakoon See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259752642 A review of cetacean research and conservation in Sri Lanka Article in Journal of Cetacean Research and Management · January 2012 CITATIONS READS 2 328 1 author: Anoukchika D. Ilangakoon 28 PUBLICATIONS 293 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE All content following this page was uploaded by Anoukchika D. Ilangakoon on 17 January 2014. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. J. CETACEAN RES. MANAGE. 12(2): 177–183, 2012 177 A review of cetacean research and conservation in Sri Lanka ANOUKCHIKA D. ILANGAKOON Member of the IUCN Cetacean Specialist Group, 215 Grandburg Place, Maharagama, Sri Lanka Contact e-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT Sri Lanka is a developing island nation in the northern Indian Ocean. Travellers and historians have documented whales in the waters around the island as far back as the 14th century but the first scientific records of live cetaceans from vessel-based research observations were documented only in the early 1980s. Sri Lanka’s waters have high cetacean species richness with 27 species recorded to date and year-round abundance. Small cetaceans are however increasingly threatened due to the developing fisheries industry, with bycatch being a major cause for concern. Other identified threats include increasing shipping traffic and unregulated marine tourism. Cetaceans are protected by national legislation but implementation of the relevant laws and conservation measures is hampered by resource constraints. The prevailing gaps in knowledge are also due to a lack of resources to carry out dedicated long-term research on cetaceans in a developing country with more immediate human development priorities. Therefore strengthened law enforcement and finding adequate resources for sustained systematic research that can inform management decisions are priorities in Sri Lanka. KEYWORDS: CONSERVATION; INDIAN OCEAN; INCIDENTAL CATCHES; SPERM WHALE; BLUE WHALE; BLAINVILLE’S BEAKED WHALE; INDO-PACIFIC HUMPBACK DOLPHIN; SPINNER DOLPHIN; COMMON BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN; RISSO’S DOLPHIN; PANTROPICAL SPOTTED DOLPHIN; FRASER’S DOLPHIN; ROUGH-TOOTHED DOLPHIN; SHORT-FINNED PILOT WHALE; FALSE KILLER WHALE; PYGMY KILLER WHALE; KILLER WHALE; MELON-HEADED WHALE; COMMON DOLPHIN; CUVIER’S BEAKED WHALE; BLAINVILLE’S BEAKED WHALE; GINKGO-TOOTHED BEAKED WHALE; LONGMAN’S BEAKED WHALE; SOUTHERN BOTTLENOSE WHALE; PYGMY SPERM WHALE; DWARF SPERM WHALE; FIN WHALE; COMMON MINKE WHALE; HUMPBACK WHALE; BRYDE’S WHALE INTRODUCTION scope of the programme expanded to include small cetaceans, Sri Lanka (5°–9°N, 79°–81°E) is a developing island nation as the threat posed by incidental bycatch in fishing gear was in the northern Indian Ocean (Fig. 1) with a long tradition of recognised early in the project. With this awareness, a further fisheries around her shores. Travellers and historians have multi-pronged national research programme was initiated in referred to whales around Sri Lanka (previously referred to 1985 with funding from the United Nations Environment as Serendib, Taprobane or Ceylon) as far back as the 14th Programme (UNEP). These national efforts continued for the century (Tennant, 1859). Records of stranded whales and next decade and since the mid-1990s individual researchers museum specimens were first reported from the 1850s (Blyth, and international Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) 1859; Deraniyagala, 1945; 1960; Fernando, 1912; Kelaart, funded projects have continued sporadic research in Sri 1852) and interactions between cetaceans and fisheries from Lankan waters. Much of what is known about cetaceans the 1880s (Lantz and Gunasekera, 1955; Nevill, 1887). around Sri Lanka today is a result of these varied projects and Scientific records of live cetaceans were not documented until research efforts (Ilangakoon, 1989; 1997; 2002; 2006c; 2009; as recently as the early 1980s and present knowledge remains Ilangakoon et al., 2000a; Ilangakoon and Perera, 2009; limited due to a lack of dedicated research. Ilangakoon et al., 2000b; Leatherwood and Reeves, 1989; After the International Whaling Commission (IWC) Ocean Alliance, 2003). established the Indian Ocean Sanctuary in 1979, cetaceans This paper summarises the current state of knowledge on and cetacean research in Sri Lanka became an area of focus cetaceans in Sri Lankan waters, focuses attention on current both nationally and internationally (Ilangakoon, 2002; and potential threats, and highlights future research and Leatherwood and Reeves, 1989). Further impetus was added conservation priorities. with the convening of the first Symposium on Indian Ocean Marine Mammals, held in Colombo in 1983. In the early RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 1980s, the World Wildlife Fund sponsored ‘Tulip Expedition’ Three decades of research, even though sporadic and studied sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) in the waters discontinuous, has resulted in the collection of some valuable around Sri Lanka and brought the occurrence of large information on cetaceans around Sri Lanka. It has also numbers of sperm whales and blue whales (Balaenoptera resulted in a small but growing national consciousness about musculus) close to land in northeastern waters to the attention an important aspect of marine biodiversity that was largely of cetacean researchers around the world (Alling et al., 1991; unknown before. The present state of knowledge can be Whitehead, 1989; Whitehead et al., 1983). Consequently, the examined in relation to what is known about cetaceans in first national marine mammal research programme in Sri these waters, the threats they face, legal aspects, conservation, Lanka was initiated by the National Aquatic Resources research, information gaps and future priorities. Research and Development Agency (NARA) in 1984. The initial focus of that programme was on large whales, but early Species diversity and relative abundance efforts indicated that Sri Lanka was a ‘hotspot’ in terms of The waters off Sri Lanka are inhabited by a rich diversity of diversity and abundance of cetaceans in general. Soon the cetaceans, with apparent year-round abundance (Ilangakoon, 178 ILANGAKOON: RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION IN SRI LANKA waters around the island (Table 1). This species list is based on specimens obtained from strandings on the coastline (Deraniyagala, 1945; Deraniyagala, 1948; Deraniyagala, 1960; 1965; Ilangakoon, 2002; 2006c; Leatherwood and Reeves, 1989; Pearson, 1931), specimens from the fisheries bycatch and direct take (Dayaratne and Joseph, 1993; Ilangakoon, 1989; 1997; 2002; Ilangakoon et al., 2000a; Ilangakoon et al., 2000b; Leatherwood, 1990; Leatherwood and Reeves, 1989; Prematunga et al., 1985) and sightings from offshore surveys (Afsal et al., 2008; Alling, 1986; Alling et al., 1991; Ballance and Pitman, 1998; Ilangakoon, 2002; 2005; 2006a; 2009; Ilangakoon et al., 2000a; Leatherwood et al., 1984; Leatherwood and Reeves, 1989; Ocean Alliance, 2003). It is likely that this species list is still incomplete, as dedicated research has been limited and new species continue to be added. One such example is the addition of Blainville’s beaked whale (Mesoplodon densirostris) in 2002, based on a specimen identified in fisheries bycatch (Ilangakoon, 2002; 2003). The continental shelf around Sri Lanka, except in the north and northwest, is relatively narrow, with deep waters being Fig. 1. Location map of Sri Lanka and surrounding waters. found quite close to the shore around most of the island’s coastline (Wijeyananda, 1997). Cetaceans are distributed all around the island. Although no specific abundance estimates 1997; 2002; 2006a; 2006c; Ilangakoon et al., 2000b; have yet been made for any species, bycatch studies Leatherwood and Reeves, 1989). Based on current taxonomy (Dayaratne and Joseph, 1993; Ilangakoon, 1989; 1997; 27 species of cetaceans under the two sub-orders Mysticeti Ilangakoon et al., 2000b; Leatherwood and Reeves, 1989) and Odontoceti and placed within the six families of and limited vessel surveys (Afsal et al., 2008; Bröker and Balaenopteridae, Physeteridae, Kogiidae, Ziphiidae, Ilangakoon, 2008; Ilangakoon, 2002; 2005; 2006a; 2006c; Delphinidae and Phocoenidae have been recorded from the 2009; Ilangakoon and Perera, 2009) demonstrate that the Table 1 Cetacean species recorded in Sri Lankan waters. Based on Species Si St Ca Key references Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) X X – Deraniyagala (1948); Leatherwood and Reeves (1989); Ilangakoon (2002) Fin whale* (Balaenoptera physalus) – ? X Deraniyagala (1965); Leatherwood and Reeves (1989) Bryde’s whale* (Balaenoptera brydei/edeni) X X – Leatherwood and Reeves (1989); Ilangakoon (2002); Herath (2007) Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) X X – Deraniyagala (1963); Leatherwood and Reeves (1989); Ilangakoon (2002) Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) X X – Deraniyagala (1965); Leatherwood and Reeves (1989); Ilangakoon (2002) Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) X X X Deraniyagala (1965); Leatherwood and Reeves (1989); Ilangakoon (2002) Pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps) – X X Pearson (1931); Leatherwood and Reeves (1989); Ilangakoon (2002) Dwarf sperm whale (Kogia sima) X X X Leatherwood and Reeves (1989); Ilangakoon (2002; 2006b) Spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris) X X X Phillips (1935); Leatherwood and Reeves (1989); Ilangakoon (2002) Pantropical spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata) X – X Alling (1986); Leatherwood and Reeves (1989); Ilangakoon (2002) Striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) X – X Alling
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